The Edge of The Coin: The Return of The Darkness
by Ryoken
Summary: It's actually got a little bit of romance as well, but I can't fit all three in, you know. Chapter 6 is up and ready!!!!
1. The bad boys return!

Sooooo, you thought that The Edge of The Coin was over, didn't you??? YOU KNOW IT IS TRUE!!!!! C'MON, ADMIT IT!!! That's better. Now, on with the story!!  
  
The Edge of The Coin: The Return of the Darkness  
By Ryoken  
  
The black sky, in which Nosgoth laid under, was peculiar that night, Seacia noted. She had, instead of joining Raziel in hunting that night, decided to star-gaze. She had never truly noticed the beauty of them that she had only taken for granted. She wondered, on the boulder that she sat on, why her. Why her, out of all the other humans and vampires, to be chosen to save Nosgoth from damnation. But then again, why not her? She took a whiff of the cold air around her.   
"Hello," she said, still staring above her.  
"Damn it, I hate that little trick of yours. It never lets me have any fun," Raziel said as he sat down beside her.  
Seacia laughed and turned to look at Raziel. "I thought you were going out tonight?"  
"I was, until I noticed that you weren't there," he answered. Then he kissed her cheek. "So why might you be here?"  
"Just thinking is all." She looked back up at the stars.  
"Thinking eh? About what?"  
"Nothing important."  
"Well it must be important if you came all the way out here just to think about it." She looked back at him for a moment until she spoke.  
"You didn't come and find me just because I wasn't there, did you?"   
"You are the little witch, aren't you? Kain-"  
"Oh so I'm a witch, am I??" Seacia said and she turned and playfully pushed him off the rock they had been sitting on. Raziel landed on his back. "Raziel?" He didn't move. Cursing, Seacia made her way off of the boulder and to his side. She nudged him and he grabbed her arm, threw her to the ground, and pinned her there by the wrists and with himself. She lifted herself up and kissed him, and when she felt his grip loosening, she pinned him to the ground.   
"I'd keep my mouth shut, but Kain sent me. He wishes to speak to you, urgently," Raziel said.  
"Bah, if he wishes to speak to me, he can do it in person," she retorted as she stood up. Then she hopped back up on the rock and sat back down.   
"It's about my brothers," he said as he too, hopped back onto the boulder which served as an uncomfortable seat.   
Seacia looked into his yellow-green eyes. They were the color of the leaves of trees when autumn was approaching. She found that she was relaxed whenever she gazed into his beautiful eyes. "Your brothers? What about them?" She whispered.  
"I don't know. All I know is that Kain wishes to speak to you and it has to do with them." Pieces of his hair fell into his eyes and Seacia brushed them away.   
"I suppose I'll get going then," she said as she began to take flight. Raziel unfolded his wings. Seacia had renewed them, she knew. They had told her, after they had returned to their own time, of the events that had occurred in the past. Now, they silently moved in the wind as he stretched them out, full length. Then he jumped into the air, letting the leathery skin of the wings take the air and make him fly.  
Not soon after, the two vampires arrived at the Pillars of Nosgoth, which now stood as it had in centuries past, before the walls of the Sanctuary of the Clan had been brought up by the human slaves. They were now whole again, though now there were no guardians, save for Kain and Seacia.   
Kain was leaning against the Pillar of Balance when they landed from their flight. His now-youthful face smiled as they came forth.  
"Raziel...I was beginning to think you had forgotten what I had sent you to do..." Kain smirked. Seacia only shook her head with a sighing smile. "I am glad that you have finally come. Follow me. You as well, Raziel." Kain turned and began to walk the path to the abyss. Nosgoth had been restored, but when they had arrived back in their own time, the landscape was shaped exactly the same, though now it seemed no where near gloomy, what with nature surrounding every nook and cranny. With every step, Kain spoke of what he wished to speak to Seacia of.  
"I had been thinking of your brothers, Raziel, earlier at the abyss, when a voice spoke out to me. I have no idea who it might have been, but it said that Seacia had the power to resurrect every one of your fellow vampire brethren from the abyss, whether or not they had been cast in. I would very much like to see whether this is true or not, would you not agree, Seacia?" Kain asked.  
Seacia pondered this short story for a mere second and then nodded. By the time he had finished, they reached the abyss.  
"I suppose I could try, though I have no idea as to how I would go about doing this," she said. Raziel and Kain stood a good distance as she floated into the air and stayed directly above the center of the swirling waters that used to be that of Kain's execution grounds. She knew that if she just let go of herself, that her body would know what to do, though in her mind, she hadn't the slightest idea. All she thought of were the faces of Melchah, Zephon, Dumah, Rahab, and Turel, though she had only seen them once or twice in her small vampire lifetime. Her arms crossed her chest without a touch and she closed her eyes. Then she uncrossed her arms and leaned backwards a little. Five purple bolts of lightning came down from gray clouds that hovered above her in the sky and they landed on the small patch of ground that stood over the abyss. Within the minute, the bolts were gone, and their place, stood vampires, all five of them.   
"R-Raziel...? K-Kain-n? What has happened? We're...we're alive...sort of," Dumah asked, dumbfounded. Amazed, neither Kain nor Raziel could answer him. Raziel finally snapped out of his delusion and embraced his younger brothers in happiness and joy, gratitude towards seeing them that he had not felt since the old wars. Confused, the brothers began to bombard Kain and Raziel with questions, not taking notice of Seacia. "How did you do this?" "What has happened to Nosgoth?" "You've both changed back into your younger states, how is that so?" were only a few of the questions they wanted answers to.   
"Please, please, enough questions," Raziel laughed as he pleaded. "The answer to all of your questions is right behind you," he said as he pointed at the sky. Seacia was not there.   
"Seacia?" Melchah stated, looking at the ground. Raziel pushed past his brothers to see Seacia lying on the ground, unconscious.   
"It must have worn her out," Raziel chuckled. "Come, dear brothers. There is much to tell you of," he spoke as he picked Seacia up in his arms and they followed Kain and Raziel to the Pillars of Nosgoth.  
Behind them, the swirling waters of the abyss seemed to slow down and gradually churn the opposite way. "Sssssssssssssssseeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccccccccccccccciaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," came a voice. "Your desssssssstiny awaitsssssssss with meeeeeeeee," and the voice spiraled into insane laughter as it died away.  
  
MUHAHAHAHAHAHA, I didn't think I could write that good!! ^_^ Who is this voice? Why did the abyss change directions? What do the newly re-arisen vampires think of this new Nosgoth? Find out in chapter two!! 


	2. Evil reveals itself

Second chapter. The vampires of old speak of the past while a new evil finally rises from its chains.  
  
The Edge of The Coin: The Return of The Darkness  
By Ryoken  
  
"So Seacia was somehow able to restore Nosgoth?" Turel asked. Raziel and Kain had taken them to the Pillars where they told them of the amazing story. They had listened very intently and hung onto every word that was said. "This story does explain all of the changes, but how can one person have THAT much power?" Turel pondered.   
"I don't know, but that is just how it happened," Raziel claimed.   
"Perhaps it is best that we do not know," Kain suggested.  
"Well I for one am not going to believe it without proof," Dumah said as he turned to face the place where Seacia had been put to rest. But when he looked, she was gone. "What, where did she go??"  
"Maybe she grew tired of your arguing and decided to get up and go elsewhere?" Rahab jokingly suggested.   
"This is peculiar...I've never known her to do something like this before," Raziel thought aloud.  
"And you've known her how long?" Rahab asked.  
Raziel slouched a little. "Three months."  
"My point exactly. You can't expect to- THREE MONTHS?!??! We've been dead for only three months?!?!?!?" Raziel nodded sheepishly. "You must be kidding...it must have been more than a decade that we were in that...that hell!" Rahab's three other brothers nodded.   
"Well, it has, whether you believe it or not." Kain said. "Raziel, any ideas where she may have gone?"  
"Not a clue."  
"All right. Spli-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as the scream was heard. "I guess that answers our question then!" And they raced towards the direction of the sound.   
They turned a corner and saw a massive black shape lifting Seacia up off the ground by her neck. She didn't look conscious.   
"Seacia!!!" Raziel shouted as he raced towards her.  
"Raziel, stop!!" Kain yelled after him. He was too late to stop as the figure whacked him to the side. Hard. Raziel fell to the ground with a thump. Unsheathing the Soul Reaver from Raziel's belt, Kain took up the sword and slashed through the figure, literally. The black shape gave a pierced shriek and evaporated into the air, dropping Seacia's limp body to the ground. Dropping the Reaver to the side, Kain examined Seacia's neck. On it was the branded mark of a clawed hand. "So he has returned," he murmured to himself, not knowing that the others overheard him when they had rushed to their brother's side. "Take them back to the Pillars. We'll wait for them to awaken there." He said as he picked Seacia up and began walking back the way they had come. The lieutenants purposely lingered behind, speaking to themselves of what Kain had meant. After what must have been thirty minutes, they reached the Pillars where Kain was impatiently waiting for them. Seacia had been laid down in the same spot and the five brothers placed Raziel beside her. They sat down in a semi-circle, their backs turned from the two unconscious vampires.   
"Kain, who, or what, was that thing?" Melchiah asked. Kain stared at the ground, unable to speak. Behind them, a mist started to rise from the ground, unnoticed.   
"Kain?" Rahab said worriedly. The mist slowly seemed to enter into Seacia's body. Rahab got up and squatted next to his father. "Father, what's wrong? Who was that?" Seacia stood up, but seemed to examine her hands as she spoke, making her face not seeable.   
"I...am...reborn......I am...I am..." Seacia looked up at the vampires, who were now staring at her. Their eyes widened with fear of unknowing. Seacia's eyes were red as she flexed her talons. Her voice spoke like that of a man and a womans put together. "Hash'ak'gik."   
  
Oh my goddess, he's back!! AHHHHHHH RUN FOR YOUR BLOODY LIVES!!!!! What has happened to Seacia??? What does Hash'ak'gik want with her?? Find out in the next chapter!! 


	3. Reasons

Oh no, it's Hash'ak'gik!! And in Seacia's body!! This could spell trouble for our beloved vampires! T-R-O-U-B-L-E. AHHHHHH, it did spell trouble!!!  
  
The Edge of the Coin: The Return of the Darkness  
By Ryoken  
  
The six vampires stood up and frantically moved far away from the grinning Seacia. Or Hash'ak'gik. She breathed deeply and loudly as she flexed her claws, almost with pleasure.   
"Ahh, Kain," Seacia said, her voice converting more so to that of Hash'ak'gik. "I must give you my thanks for leading Seacia to me."  
"What in hell do you speak of, demon?! Leave her at once!!" Kain commanded, signaling for his sons to retrieve the soul reaver from Raziel and bring it to him.  
"You brought her there to revive your sons, did you not? That was my chance to escape the abyss and be reborn into this world!!" she cackled. Raziel began to moan as he started to awaken.  
"Seacia...?" She turned to face him, smiling.   
"My beloved...you awake," Hash'ak'gik said, imitating her voice.  
"Raziel, don't listen to her, it's-" Kain tried to say.  
"Quiet, Kain!!"  
"Beloved? What's wrong with you, you've never called me that before..." he said, standing up.   
"Here, Kain!" Dumah said, giving him the Soul Reaver.  
"Thank you, Dumah. Now then, Hash'ak'gik, I order you to go back to the abyss where you came from or else," he said, thinking that he would obey.  
"Or else what?" Hash said, with his voice. "Are you going to kill me? That's a laugh, Kain. You know what would happen should you try to get rid of me like that," and he laughed evilly.   
"Raziel, get away from there, now!" He said.  
"Don't have to tell me twice," Raziel told him, avoiding Seacia's arm as she tried to grab him.   
"If you will not leave, then tell us: why?"  
"It's rather simple, Kain. I imagined you'd figure it out on your own. But no matter. Seacia is the only one powerful enough to sustain me. She belongs to me, now. And so, will Nosgoth!!" He cackled, and he made her jump to the Pillar of Balance where she climbed to the top of it, like Zephon would, pushed off of it, flying into the air and out of sight.  
"Dear Gods, who knows what he'll do with someone like Seacia in his possession," Kain thought aloud.  
"Could someone tell me what's going on??" Raziel asked with his hands on his hips.  
"To put it plainly for you, Hash'ak'gik has taken control of Seacia. In other words, he's possessed her," Kain told him, handing him back the Reaver.   
"Then he shall die...again," Raziel smiled, punched his clawed fist into his opposite hand.  
Kain laughed. "I'm afraid it is not that simple to dispossess someone, Raziel. It takes a very long time, and in this case, I'm not even sure how to bring him out of her."  
"There must be a way. And I'll bet my wings that Rahab can find something in his books about this. Even if it's a small piece of information, right Rahab?" He said hopefully.  
"Well, I might, given the time," he guessed.  
"How much time?" Kain asked.  
"I've no idea."  
"I hate to disappoint you, but we cannot allow him to run free like that. Rahab, take Melchiah and Zephon with you, the rest of you will come with me to find her. Understood?" They nodded. "Then let us go."   
They went off in their separate directions, Rahab, Melchiah, and Zephon to Rahab's stash of books, and Raziel, Kain, Dumah, and Turel to find Seacia. What they would do when they found her though, was still a mystery...  
  
Ok, short, I know, but I wanted to finish this before I had to leave my computer. Gonna end the story on a phrase: It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it. 


	4. The Materialistic Elements

Whoa, that was weird. Thank you Syvia for that helpful information!!  
  
The Edge of the Coin: The Return of the Darkness  
By Ryoken  
  
The vampires separated into their separate groups, one to find Seacia, and the other to find information on possession.   
Raziel seemed to be leading the "pack" of running vampires. Kain seemed to realize this a bit and said, "Raziel, get up there and look. You'll have a better view and a better chance of spotting her. When you see her, make sure to tell us." Raziel nodded and as they ran, he unfolded his wings and took off into the sky. The grounded vampires stood where they were, looking up at Raziel. He signaled for them to follow him, and took off into a forest. They ran after him, following as fast as possible.  
Raziel saw Seacia just barely dive into the forest, near a clearing where there stood a rather small village. He landed not too far from her, but far enough where she couldn't hear him. Kain and the other two caught up in time to see Seacia run into a nearby house from the forest. Within seconds, they heard a woman scream. The villager ran out of the house, two children clinging to her dress as they ran. "Help!! There's a vampire in our home, and she's killing my husband!!!" She screamed. Villagers rushed to her side and others into the home. But instead of fighting being heard, a noise unlike any other they had ever heard before rose up from the home. Then, they heard the voice of Hash'ak'gik yell.   
"DIE!!!!!" and there was a very bright flash of light. The four vampires covered their eyes from the light and only when it had subsided, did they look upon the carnage. The small village was gone, and in its place was a large crater. Seacia was in the middle of the crater. She was lying in the new dirt, seemingly unconscious, her head moving from side to side, with a smile of pleasure of her face. Then she pushed herself up, now on her feet, and a dark brown light appeared around her. The vampires couldn't see anything of her until the dark light was gone. She turned around to face the vampires and started to walk towards them, the smile now gone.   
"Perhaps we should get going...??" Turel suggested. He and Dumah were the only ones who could seem to move. The two tried with all their might to snap their oldest brother and master out of their trances, but to no avail. Seacia stopped.  
"Perhaps this would be the best time to gain yet another element, Kain?" She said, switching her voice to Hash'ak'gik as she said the name "Kain".  
"What do you mean, Hash'ak'gik?" Kain said, now seeming to come out of his trance.  
"The spectacle you just saw was for me to gain a new power, Kain. That was of earth. I have no need to gather that of light. She already has it for me. Now, I ask you again. Is this not the best time to gather another element, Kain?" He smiled.  
"I still have no idea what-"  
"I will tell you plainly then. Is this not the best time to gain the power of darkness from your black heart that I will rip from your still-living body?!"  
"Nope, sorry, I'm afraid he has other plans with that organ, bye!!" Turel said, trying to pull Kain away from the vampire as Dumah did the same with Raziel. Both of them didn't move an inch.   
Converting back to Seacia's voice, Hash'ak'gik said "Then perhaps, I shall gain another element," as she came closer to Raziel. He looked down at her with longing eyes.   
"Raziel! Kain! We gotta get outta here, now!!" Dumah yelled. Kain seemed to just now realize this and said  
"He's right, Raziel. We must go, now!!"  
Seacia turned to the three vampires as she put her arms around Raziel. Then she turned back to him. "Will you leave me as well, Raziel?"   
"No," he whispered. He leaned in to kiss her when Seacia backed away from Raziel, gripping her skull and screaming in pain. This seemed to wake Raziel up as she sank to her knees. He went to her side and she looked up at him. Her face was of pure terror.   
"Help....me..." she managed to say before she went back to screaming and tossing about. Cuts appeared on various places.   
"Should we take her back with us?" Raziel asked Kain. He seemed to ponder it a moment.  
"Yes. She should be allowed to run free, as I said before. And its better that she not get anymore of these "elements"." He said. Raziel picked her up, but as soon as he did, she was flung out of his arms. He and Dumah had to hang on tightly to her upper body and ankles as they carried her back to the Pillars and go towards Rahab's library.  
  
"I'm sure there must be something in one of these darn books," Zephon said, reading an excerpt of How to Keep Your Pet Bird From Being Possessed and then throwing it back down onto the table of books, piling up with assorted novels and informational guides. Rahab sighed.  
"I could have sworn that I had a book that said something about this. I just know that I did because-"  
"What was it called, Rahab?" Melchiah asked.  
"The Demon's Work, why?"  
"Because I found it," he said, climbing down from a ladder and carefully placing the book on the table. The two other brothers cleared the table of books with a swipe of their arms and sat down next to their youngest sibling. The book was very old and the paper was beginning to turn a pale tan. He opened and immediately, dust came from inside. "Is this what you were looking for, brother?"  
"Yes, this is what I was looking for exactly," Rahab said, taking the book from where it rest, to in front of him. Zephon stood up irritatingly to hunch over Rahab's shoulder. "Blah blah blah...oh yes, here we go. 'Demons are often known for the possession of humans. They will take over the human's mind and control them, usually without consent, if the person is not a witch. There are few cases of possession where possession is real, as they were mainly hoaxes so that a person could get their way. Little is known about how one comes to be possessed, as the spirit world is not well-known.'" Rahab was interrupted by the swift opening of a door which revealed Kain and the others, holding a moaning Seacia.   
"Any ideas as to where to put her, boys?" Kain asked.  
"Think the cells can hold her?" Rahab asked.  
"If someone watches over her, perhaps. And I don't want you, Raziel," Kain said, seeing him get up to volunteer ," to do it. Hash'ak'gik knows about you and Seacia, and he's bound to use that to his advantage. Dumah, you will go down and keep an eye her, understood?" The strong vampire nodded. "Good. Take her down there," he said. Raziel unwillingly let Dumah carry her down to the cells beneath the abbey. Before Dumah had gone, he could have sworn he saw Seacia open her eyes for a moment, and she looked like her old self again. "Now then," Kain's voice brought Raziel back from his thoughts. "Have you found anything?"  
"Yes, we have. In fact you caught us right in the middle of Rahab's story-time," Zephon teased. Rahab didn't seem to care.  
"As I was saying, 'The dispossession of a person can be done through the act of an exorcism. This can be done by a priest.' Blah blah blah," Rahab continued to say as he quickly scanned the pages of the book until he came upon something. "Hello, what have we here...? 'In the worship of gods, there are many to choose from. However, there is one god above all others which should NOT be worshipped. This is god of evil, Hash'ak'gik. Coming forth as a black entity, Hash'ak'gik possesses the minds of his followers. As the author of this book, I discovered an old legend that was circulated around the followers of this mad god. It was said that once, a child follower of Hash'ak'gik was possessed by him and told the other followers a prophecy. One day, he would find and rise up with power beyond that of any other god. He would control the materialistic elements of earth, light, darkness, water, fire, and air and with them, he would rule Nosgoth as he had before the coming of the other gods.' That doesn't sound too good. And it doesn't seem to say what anyone can do to stop him in here. It'll take a while, but maybe we can find something to dispossess her." They only looked on in amazement and shock.  
"I see...You keep looking in that book, you three. I think we have some business to conduct with our new friend," Kain said. They began to go for the door when Dumah slammed it open, almost off its hinges. He looked quite messy.  
"Seacia escaped!!"  
  
Oh no!! She's on the loose again!! What will happen? Will Hash'ak'gik rule Nosgoth in terror once again?? Is there a way to stop this insane god?? Read on!! 


	5. An Answer?

Zzzzzzzzzz...huh, oh!! I'm awake at last!! Now I can continue!! Yay! 

The Edge of the Coin: The Return of the Darkness

By Ryoken

"Seacia escaped!!" Dumah yelled. His hair was out of place, his clothes sagging. He looked like he had slept in his clothing.

"What in the world happened to you?" Rahab asked questioningly at his appearance.

"She...he...uh.." he said, uncertainly.

"Just called her "it" for now," Kain suggested. "Now what happened?"

" 'It' tried to seduce me so it could get out!! I-" Before he could finish his sentence, Raziel was up and had him by the throat.

"Raziel, let him go!! Now!" Kain ordered, taking a step towards him. Raziel growled menacingly at Dumah and released him.

"As I was saying, she, I mean it, must have cast some sort of spell on me because I couldn't stop myself till the last minute. Then she rushed past me and she was gone!!" he explained.

"Raziel, you shouldn't jump to conclusions in these cases. Especially when Hash did it to you as well," Kain pointed out. "Now then, we'll go out and find her once more, you three stay here and find a cure. Come!" And he ran out the door, the others following behind him, Dumah trying to make himself more presentable along the way.

"Bah, why do I have to stay here looking through these damned books?! I want to go out and search as well!" Zephon complained, dropping into a nearby chair.

"Don't complain, just keep searching!" Rahab said, flipping through the same book.

"Hrmph!" He retorted, picking up a nearby book named Carpentry for Dummies and gingerly flipping through it. "What the hell!??" He said, standing up while still looking at the book. The two other vampires looked up from their books. Zephon grinned evilly. "Rahab, I never knew you were interested in these things..." Rahab turned white and rushed over and grabbed the book Zephon was holding, which was now turned sideways.

The four vampires found Seacia not far from the abbey. In fact, she was sitting cross-legged at the abyss, her eyes closed, arms crossed. They cautiously approached her and she didn't move, even when they were right behind, within arm's reach. Kain nodded to Dumah and Turel and they took opposite sides of her, but when they went to pick her up, they were thrown back by some unseen force, and were almost flung into the abyss, but caught the edge of the small scrap of land that still stood.

"Well that's not going to work," Raziel said, pulling Turel up. 

"Obviously not," Kain agreed. So they gained a little distance from Seacia to think about how they could bring her back to the abbey or some place where she couldn't go anywhere. After what must have been an hour, Seacia made a sound and stood up. They watched her suspiciously as she calmly walked towards the edge of the land and when she took her first step off of the little island, water flew up from the abyss below and flattened itself to make ground so that she could walk upon it. This kept up until she was in the center where she turned and faced them. She opened her eyes and they, except for Kain, gasped in horror. Her eyes had turned completely black and her irises were white. 

Seacia extended her arms out and water rushed up from below in two pillars, which stopped at the tips of her fingers. Then they formed themselves into balls of water, hovering just above her upturned palms.

Hash'ak'gik spoke. "This makes three, Kain. You're running out of time. I must say I'm very disappointed in you. I would have thought you'd have beaten me sooner." As he said this, he rose Seacia's arms so that they faced the heavens and the two balls of water joined into one massive one. "But now, you won't get the chance. Because I'm ending it, and destroying the only means of stopping me!! Guess it's like the old saying goes: kill two birds with one stone. Except this time, it's four birds." At that moment, she lowered her arms in front of her and to massive ball of water shot itself at them, trying to burn them and throw them into the abyss. The four dove out of the way, holding onto the edge of the bridge that they had backed up upon.

"Everyone back on the bridge now!!" Kain yelled as he pulled himself up. The others had a slower time of doing so, except for Raziel of course, and Kain teleported up to Seacia to face her.

"Fool!! Do you really think you can win against me?!" Hash said triumphantly.

"I can die trying," Kain replied as he powered up a ball of dark energy and threw it at her. She ducked and laughed at him, until Kain punched her. "Raziel, the Reaver!!" he said, punching her again and again, not giving her a chance to retaliate. Raziel drew the blade at once and Kain grabbed it from his hand. He then caught Seacia behind her, one arm wrapped around her neck, the other holding the Soul Reaver up to her throat. 

Gasping, Seacia said "Kain...let me go...I can't, breathe..."

"Ha, like I'm going to fall for that," Kain chuckled. Struggling, Seacia called out to Raziel.

"Raziel...have mercy on me...set me...free," she said.

"Don't listen to her, Raziel!! Don't even look at her!!" Kain yelled. Seacia weakly rose up a hand, reaching desperately for him. Then, in retaliation, Seacia readied the same clawed and hand and sunk the tips of them into Kain's arm. He tried not to sound like he was in much pain, and he responded by tightening his grip on her neck with his arm. Finally, she fell unconscious under the suffocation and fell limp. "At least now there won't be much struggle for a while," Kain said, releasing his choking hold on her and letting her slip to the ground, gasping for air.

"Are you sure that was so necessary, Kain?" Raziel asked, picking her up automatically. 

"Well what did you expect me to do? Kill her? I'd be running for the rest of my unlife from you if I did so," he chuckled. Raziel slyly grinned.

"Good point." The four hurried back to the abbey with the unconscious Seacia, where they put her in another cell, but this time, it was heavily guarded.

"Find anything more, you three?" Kain asked as they walked back into the room.

"Not a thing," Rahab said.

"Well I-" Zephon started to say until Rahab covered his mouth.

"Keep looking, there must be something."

"I think we've looked in every bloody book there is, Father," Melchiah said, pointing at the many many books lying on chairs, a table, a desk, and the floor. There were hardly any books still left on the shelves.

"I see." 

"Perhaps, then, we should look towards the library that the humans keep," Turel suggested.

"Good idea, they must have the other half of this book," Rahab noted.

"What do you mean 'the other half'?"

"Well, that same book that I read the excerpt from was only half. The end of the book had been ripped out," he explained.

"What are we waiting for, let's go!" Dumah cried out.

"I agree. There's not a moment to waste, as Hash'ak'gik could wake up at any moment," Kain said. He ordered his sons to fetch their cloaks and return to the abbey as soon as they did. As they did so, Kain went down to the cells to see how the prisoner was. She was sitting up, her head bowed down, but he could tell that Hash was awake.

"So, you've awoken, Hash. I imagined you'd be out cold a lot longer," Kain commented, sitting on a nearby stool.

He grinned. "The possessed know no unconsciousness, Kain."

"Is that so?"

"They, the possessed, know only dreams until they are released. As for Seacia," Hash'ak'gik looked up. The face that had once been Seacia's was a much deeper color than it was supposed to be. Somewhat black, although physically, it didn't seem it. Her lips were raw. "She shall dream for all of eternity, for I, Hash'ak'gik, WILL SLAY THE ONLY HOPE SHE HAS!!!!!!!!" He boomed, rushing up to the bars of the cell and shaking them. Then he began to laugh, though not insanely, and sat back down on the edge of the cot. 

"And this hope that you speak of? What is it?" Kain asked.

"Heh, doth thou truly believe that I am going to tell you? What a fool I would be if I did so, what an imbecile. No, I'm not going to tell you, I am not your everyday foolish blasphemer!"

"Then we shall have to find it in one of the books that the humans possess," Kain answered as-a-matter-of-factly. 

Hash'ak'gik slashed Seacia's face as she put her hands to cover herself. "You...won't find it...in a book...Kain, it's...in...his...ahhhh," Seacia tried to say, but Hash'ak'gik took over again and released his grip on her face. It was bleeding, but the wounds healed fast. Strangely, there were scars where she had ripped her skin. 

"Foolish...vampire...Do you really...think that you...can stop me now? I'll get out of here, and when I do, YOU'RE going to be the next element that I collect, DO YOU HEAR ME!!!" Hash bellowed at Kain as he left to wait for his lieutenants at the abbey. "YOU WILL DIE ONCE I AM FREE ONCE MORE, KAIN!!!!"

When the last of them had arrived, Hash'ak'gik's yelling and screaming could be heard from the cell bellow. Kain, in fact, went to check on whether he had escaped or not several times.

"What's he mumbling about now, Father?" Turel asked.

"Oh nothing too important. Just how he's going to come after me once he's freed, that's all. Turel, I want you stay down there with the guards and make sure that he doesn't escape again, understand? If he does break out, use a spell or anything to stop him, understood?" He nodded a bit weakly. "Good. But we are not going to the citadel."

"What, how come??" Dumah protested.

"Because I went down to his cell earlier and Seacia told me that the answer was not in any book. But I'm afraid that she wasn't able to finish her sentence, Hash'ak'gik re-took her over," the lord explained.

"How can you trust what she said?? You know that Hash'ak'gik can control her voice!" Rahab argued.

"She was trying so desperately to fight him, to win control over him again. Even if it was just an act, by the way he's shouting it's as if he wanted us to go look in that library. And you should never trust a demon, by what I've learned."

"Then where should we look?" Raziel asked. All eyes were on Kain.

"I'm not sure, but I believe the answer lies in a 'he', not a thing," he said.

"A 'he'? You mean a person?" Zephon asked.

"Yes. Before Seacia let go, she said, 'the answer doesn't lie in a book, it's in his,' but that's all she could say."

Before they could think more on the subject, a loud blast and several blood-curdling screams came from the depths of the abbey.

"Well, I believe that's our cue!" Kain said as they rushed to the exit to stop Hash'ak'gik. 

Smoke billowed out from the tunnel and a shadow revealed the figure of Seacia walking slowly towards them, but leaning with a clawed hand on the nearby wall. When she came into a clearer view, there was a harpoon stuck in her back, but not so deep as to kill her instantly, obviously the vain attempt to impale her. "Damn you...and your...blasted guards, Kain," Hash said, gasping. Then he started to fall forward to ground, only to be caught by a speeding Raziel. He looked at Kain, who nodded, and pulled the harpoon out from Seacia's back. She screamed in agony, only to stop and begin laughing hysterically in Hash'ak'gik's voice. He grinned evilly up at Raziel, who was looking down upon Seacia's tattered body. With one hand reaching out for the harpoon and other pinning Raziel to ground, Seacia on top of him, he said "Time to die and release the hope of this world!!!" Raziel, with all strength he could muster, struggled to keep the point of the harpoon from digging into his neck. Kain rushed to help him and tried to pull the broken end of the harpoon out of Seacia's hand. In a split second, Seacia let go of the harpoon, sending Kain toppling backwards onto the ground, and ran past Raziel's horrified brothers.

"Get her!!" Kain yelled at them, but when they finally snapped out of their trances, Seacia was gone. "DAMN IT!!!" he said, pounding a fist onto the wall.

"Turel!!!" Melchiah realized, and lead the group down to the dungeon. There was no sign of any bodies any where, but the door of Seacia's cell was broken off its hinges and on the floor. Blood was stained on the walls where it hadn't been before and weapons of sword, spear, and shield lay broken or torn to shreds all over the place. There was no sign of the vampire lord.

"Hash'ak'gik will pay dearly for their deaths, especially Turel's..."Kain vowed, hitting the wall again.

"But I am not dead, only scared out of my freaking mind," came the voice of Turel. He stepped out from the shadows of hiding place.

"Wha-, but how? There are no bodies here at all!!" Melchiah confoundedly said.

"When I saw Seacia trying to break out, I tried to use a projectile to stop her, but it wouldn't work. Thought the best thing to do was to lay low until she was gone," he explained.

"At least that's one death that I will not have to avenge. We have to find her, and fast," Kain said. They ran out of the abbey to track down the possessed vampire and find out the rest of Seacia's answer.

Thought you could all use a bit of a longer chapter since I've been gone so long. Well what was Seacia trying to say? Who is this 'he' she spoke of? Will Hash kill Kain??? Read the next chapter to find out!!!!


	6. Truth or Dare?

More of the Edge of the Coin, comin' at yas! Thought long and hard about this chapter, should be interesting to see what I come up with. Oh yes, and no, you haven't missed anything, this is just where it starts off.

The Edge of the Coin: The Return of the Darkness

By Ryoken

"Raziel..." The voice was soothing to his hearing. Raziel opened his eyes to see a white light shining around someone who had the outline of Seacia. "Raziel...Come to me," she said softly. She held out a glowing hand and he took it. He started kissing her, softly at first, then more passionately, until-

"Raziel, wake up!!!!!" Dumah yelled in his ear. His two brothers and father were standing over him, looking a tad worried. 

"Are you alright, Raziel? We were worried that when you collapsed, we wouldn't be able to get you back! What happened??" Turel asked.

"I'm...I'm fine, I... I don't know what happened," he answered. Kain had his back turned to them as he looked out over the ridge at the large town below.

"I'm glad you decided to wake up, Raziel," Kain teased, though being very serious. Raziel and his two brothers came up behind Kain and they too, looked over the town. "She's in there, somewhere. I can sense her enormous power hiding in there. We have to-Raziel, come back here!!!!" Kain shouted as Raziel jumped off the ledge and into the air, flying low towards the town. "We have to get to him, come on!!!!!" Kain said as they briskly ran down the hill, following Raziel as best they could. When he landed and he hid behind a building and looked for something, it was Kain's chance to grip Raziel's cloak from behind, turn him around, and slap him. Raziel blinked for a few moments and put his hand to his forehead.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking," he apologized.

"It's all right, just do your best to keep in control," the vampire lord said. He looked out into the people-filled street. "We'll split up. One of you go with Raziel, however, I don't want him going off on his own and finding Seacia. The dark gods only know what would happen then. Should any of you spot her, report to me at once," they all nodded in agreement.

"I'll go with him," Turel volunteered.

"It's settled then. Now spread out." Kain pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and disappeared into the crowd. The three lieutenants followed and went in opposite directions.

Turel and Raziel searched the western part of the town, looking in every nook and cranny, Raziel even dared so much as to even ask a few humans. There was no sign of her until one man answered them. 

"Yeah, I saw her! I saw her go inta that alley over thar'. She looked awful. I tried to help her, but she merely ignored me and pushed me aside. Nearly made me fall on my ass, too. She sure was a strong, hey, where you going?!"

"To find her!! Uh, thanks!!" Turel yelled back as the two ran towards the designated alley.

That's when it hit him again. His body heat rising rapidly and the pain in his temples and head. He began to stumble about as he ran.

"Raziel, are you ok?! Don't tell me it's happening again, not now!!! We're so close, brother!!" Turel said as Raziel tried to support himself on the wall, almost blacking out. "Damn it, Raziel, what a time for-ugh!" That was all he could say before he went unconscious.

"Raziel..." came a gruff voice. Although the alley was dark in its shadows, two black eyes with white irises looked down upon the now-sitting vampire, slowly nodding his head as he drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness and they both disappeared.

It was bright, but not blinding. He sat up and looked around. There was nothing but the soft glow of the light. Then a figure approached him, Seacia. She looked just as she had on that rock on the cliff which seemed so long ago. She placed a hand on his cheek. It was warm, as it always was.

"Raziel, I have something terribly important to tell you," she said, taking her hand away.

"What is it?"

"In order to get rid of Hash'ak'gik, you must-"she tried to say, but a strange blackness surrounded her and then devoured all of the light in that place. Then, where Seacia had once stood, Hash'ak'gik rose up, towering over the vampire lieutenant, and laughing manically.

"Do you think that you'll find the answer like this?? By trying to speak to her in a dream?! HA!! Don't make me laugh. It will not be as easy as you think, boy!!!! I can assure you of that!!!!"

"Let her go!!!!" Raziel screamed, flying up to his face.

"FOOL!!!!! Incompetent vampire scourge!!!!!!" Hash said as he swatted him away, making him crash to the floor. He opened his eyes to find himself chained to a wall in a jail cell. He tried to break free, but he was still too weakened. Just then, Seacia appeared around the cornered, dressed in white garments. They hardly covered her body.

"Raziel, are you all right?" She said. She looked completely normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

"I don't know...I'm seeing you in what looks like draped cloth and I'm chained up, so I must be dreaming or going crazy," he answered.

" No dream. I'm getting you out of here. The guards won't be out for long," she said as she broke the door. 

"What do you mean, guards? Am I still in that town?"

"Yes, I'll explain it later," Seacia said as broke the chains and helped him out of cell and into the next room. It was totally different than the jail. It was what seemed to be a romantic balcony, dressed with white silk curtains that were blowing in a slight breeze and white furniture. With Seacia's clothing, it made the place seem heavenly. She led him to a sofa and had him sit down. He could only stare at her. "What is it? You look at me like I'm some sort of crazy stranger," she laughed.

"In a sense, you are. I've never," he breathed slightly faster," ever, seen you wear something like this."

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

Trying to snap out of his gaze, he asked another question. "What was it you were trying to tell me earlier?"

"It was...nothing important, Raziel," Seacia said, moving closer to him.

"Nothing important?! You were about to tell me how to get rid of Hash'ak'gik!!"

"Who's that?" Seacia asked very innocently, resting her head on his chest.

"He's the demon who...who took po..." he started to say, but then he remembered. "You're not Seacia."

"What are you talking about, of course it's me," she said, looking up at him, smiling. He seemed to panic as his memory returned to him and he slashed Seacia across her cheek, falling to the ground as he scrambled to get away from her. Her blood ran down her surprised face as she stood up and touched the streaming liquid, backing away from Raziel. Then her expression turned to anger as her eyes turned black and her skin heavily darkened. The heavenly balcony changed and twisted into an old abandoned building with the sound of busying humans in the background. "I tried to make it easier on you, poor Raziel," came Hash'ak'gik's voice. "I tried to make this more pleasurable for you, but I suppose that you won't be taking me up on my offer," he said.

"What offer?" He asked warily.

"Do anything that I say, and Seacia could have been yours once more. You could have lived together, get married for all I care, so long as you obeyed me when I saw fit!!!! But no...I suppose I'll just have to kill you instead," and with that, he lunged at Raziel, who promptly dodged the attack.

"You never said anything about a deal!!!"

"Yes, but had you listened to her then, she-I, would have. But you decided to try and rip her face off!!! I doubt that she'll ever be able to even look at you again!! How insensitive," he said.

"What...No, she'd understand why, she isn't like that!" He argued.

"My poor poor fool... She can still speak to me, Raziel, and she tells me everything she thinks. And she hates you. She despises you for that, doing it for no good reason. Quite a shame actually. You never had the chance to..."

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!" Raziel yelled at the top of his lungs, racing towards Hash'ak'gik, even though he knew no way of getting rid of him, trying and wanting to destroy him so badly he would have given up his life for it. Hash merely laughed as he easily dodged his unfocused acts. 

"Ahh, they lady of the house speaks to me once more," Raziel looked at him angrily, but he didn't move. When Hash spoke again, it was in Seacia's voice.

"Raziel, why are you doing this?! I've done nothing to you, I've tried to love you, and this is what I get in return?? Hate!? Harm?! Fine then! I've HAD it with you!!!" Raziel realized what she was doing.

"No wait, Seacia, I-,"

"Shut up!!! I am not about to forgive you as you beg me to come back to you, Raziel! And I won't listen to you, either."

"Seacia, please-"

"You heard her, Raziel. She won't speak to you anymore," Hash'ak'gik said in his own voice, with a vengeful grin.

"You little..." Raziel said as he started to make his way to Hash'ak'gik who stood triumphantly.

"Do you want to make it even worse, Raziel?" He said, raising a hand at the wall nearest him. It exploded and made a hole in the wall, as well as in the crowd just outside. He stepped out through the hole as the people just outside whispered in their neighbor's ear and gasped. "Now it looks as though your love will never bring her back." He shrugged. "Oh well," Hash said casually and he strode off into the crowd. As Raziel stepped out of the hole, there was a thump and an "Uff!" as a cloud of dust arose from the spot where Seacia was last seen. When the dust settled and the crowd parted, Dumah stood above her, wiping his hand of invisible dust and looking down at Seacia, who moaned in Hash's voice. He picked her up by her neck and looked back at Raziel.

"I think you lost this, brother," he said, grinning. Raziel did not return the grin. He merely stared at the ground. "Hey, are you feeling alright? You're not about to collapse again, are you?"

"No...no, I'm not."

"Good. Then let's go get Ka-aieeeeete, Katie, let's go get Katie, ok?"

"Yes...fine..."

"Where is Tur-our other brother?"

Raziel looked up quickly. "In an alley, that's right!!! He was knocked unconscious!" Raziel rushed off with Dumah not too far behind and Seacia slung over his shoulder. Fortunately for them, Kain spotted them as they ran and silently followed them. They turned a corner just in time to see Turel get up.

"Ow...what the bloody hell just hit me...? You found her!!" Turel said.

"Yes, we've found her. Now we just need to get back to the abbey," Dumah said. Together, they rushed past the humans, not taking any notice of the things that they said when their hoods fell back. After much running, they arrived back at the abbey. Only two vampires were still there.

"Where has Rahab gone to?" Kain asked immediately as they all came through the door.

"Before I answer, I just want to-" Zephon started to say.

"Where. Is. He."

"He went to the citadel, but he took some of his kin with him. He went to find the other half of the book. I tried to stop him, but he insisted on doing something," he tried to explain.

Kain sighed. "Raziel, I want you to go after him. Besides, the farther away you are from Seacia until we can cure her, the better."

"But Lord Kai-" He took hold of Raziel's shoulders.

"I know you want to look after her, but it's safer if you went. Trust me."

"You didn't speak to her, my lord, and I did!! Please, just let me tell you what Hash'ak'gik said that's-"

"Haven't I told you enough times not to listen to that foul demon?! Wake up, Raziel, or are you still thinking he would so easily give up something important?! He won't give you a sliver of a chance of getting rid of him, not by a long shot. Just do as I say and retrieve your brother. Now, go," Kain said, releasing.

Filled with anger and frustration at his master, Raziel stomped out of the library and slammed the door behind him so hard that it shook the room.

"Poor child." Kain said. He was about to say something else when Seacia took in a gasping breath.

"Raz..." she started to say, but was thrown out of the chair that she had been placed in and thrown halfway across the room. She took in another gasping breath. Then she began quivering terribly and she looked up at the door as she struggled to push herself up. She started to raise up a hand towards the door, but fell to the ground and went back unconscious. "...iel..."


End file.
